Warm Up Winter at the Fire and Ice Ball
By Rowan Beck,
January 26, 2012, page 1.....

Bundle up the family for an evening of fun! The Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services Fire and Ice Ball, otherwise known as the “holiday party,” will be held February 3 at the Old Lantern. The festivities begin at 6 p.m. with happy hour, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. This is a fundraising event for Fire and Rescue and also an opportunity to honor these volunteers who serve the community. Awards are presented for Most Calls Attended, Most Trainings Attended and Years of Service, in five-year increments. Honorees each receive a nicely framed certificate.
Currently there are 29 members on the Fire Department, with 26 who are active and three special members who still go on calls, just not as regularly. This year there are eight new members including four or five who are students at CVU, according to Chief Chris Davis. The Charlotte Fire Department operates strictly with volunteers, while the Rescue squad has some paid members. The dollar value of volunteer services for Fire and Rescue last year was a $215,285, according to the annual audit for fiscal year 2011.
Having a fully volunteer fire department poses its challenges, especially when there are frequent calls during the day. Last year there were a total of 135 calls. In this past week there have been five car-related accidents and two fires. “The turnouts are better on weekends and nights because people are around,” said volunteer Michael Jordan. “It’s a little thinner during the day because everybody works.” Dick St. George and his son Devon were at home last week when they got the call for a fire off Ferry road. It only took them four minutes to answer the call. Luckily, Dick lives close to the station. Dick also attended the accident near the Charlotte Berry Farm Thursday night, January 19, when a tractor-trailer jackknifed, hitting three or four cars and closing Route 7 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Michael Jordan, who was at the accident scene and went to work shortly after, said he thought that throughout the night at least 20 Charlotte Fire and Rescue volunteers were at the scene.
Charlotte relies heavily on its volunteers but also gets support from surrounding fire and rescue departments. “Sometimes the other departments just bring a truck up to sit at the station in case there is another call,” Chris said. “It is a challenge for all fire departments because we all back each other up. If they get pulled away from their town, another needs to step up.” At the fire off Ferry road on January 13, four other departments were called in. The blaze was under control in minutes but the hard part is breaking it up and making sure it is completely out. “We break the fire into four parts,” Chris said. ”The initial attack, knock down, overhaul, and pick-up.” According to Chris, part of the reason so many came to that fire was because there are fewer local volunteers available during the day. Also, since there was smoke, air packs had to be used and firefighters need to be certified for that. Initially there were four certified fire fighters on the scene but only two could be used. One person needed to be in command, one needed to run the pump, leaving two to fight the fire. For more information about that fire see page 5.
CVFRS invites everyone to come out on February 3 to the Old Lantern to recognize the volunteers and have a good time. Shelburne Meat Market is donating some of the chicken and beef that Chef Roland Gaujac will be cooking. Local businesses and families are donating pastas, salads and desserts. Tickets will be available at the door at $20 for adults; children (13 and under) are $5. Dinner is at 7 p.m. and music and dancing with the band Horse Traders will begin at 8 p.m. There is also a 50/50 raffle, but you have to be there to win. This promises to be a lively evening – a warm community gathering on a cold winter’s night.